There are only four more sleeps before Christmas. You don't have to be Semi-Homemade Sandra "I'm Freaking Terrifying" Lee or your great Aunt Tamanay to create a cherished (or at least wanted) homemade gift for your friends and relatives in a short amount of time. more ›

Being sheriff has its perks -- to the tune of $120,000, if you're Sheriff Lee Baca. ABC 7 reports that in his 13-year tenure, Baca has accepted gifts in the form of expensive liquor, tickets to shows and travel. And a database posted at the LA Times reveals that Baca has enjoyed many a game of golf on someone else's tab, including local attorney David Hochman and real estate developer Michael Schwab. more ›

Walk by this clean, bright space on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake and you'll probably think its a gift shop. Partially true. However STARK is one of LA's premiere houses of hairlessness featuring a nearly-ouchless hard blue wax called Cirepil that starts its life as little beads and melts down to take it all off. more ›

In the latest round of lobbying firm disclosures filed to the state, records show that California lawmakers as usual accepts gifts from various corporate entities, according to the LA Times. Of note is the more than $1,400 in basketball tickets given to politicians who helped push through the NFL stadium proposal for the city of Industry. Disney gave thousands of dollars worth of tickets to Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3 to legislators. Various other companies wined and dined lawmakers. more ›

Gentlemen (and ladies) you've got less than a week now to shop for something sweet for your sweetheart. Perhaps your beloved is all about cupcakes; in that case, hie thee to Crumbs to get their Valentine's Day flavors. But if you're thinking chocolate, for crying out loud, skip the drugstore aisles (we've warned you!) and consider some of these local confections to help you pour some sugar on this Hallmark holiday. more ›

Forget this week's corporate bonanza shopping blitz known as "Black Friday." Show your support for local artists and crafters by shopping at Unique Los Angeles, an occasional showcase of local talent that you'll want to buy for the loved ones on your holiday gift lists. The 2nd Annual Unique Los Angeles Holiday show is the largest independent design show on the West Coast, where you can shop from over 300 designers and artists. more ›

So much of this holiday season is about giving ‘gifts’. It’s all so commercialized, bro. You’ve got gifts for kids, gifts for drinkers. You’ve even got gift ideas for people who sure as hell can’t afford to buy you a gift in return. Thanks but no thanks, douchetards. This year, it’s all about getting people shit they don’t need. And probably don’t even want. For stocking stuffers, I’m just getting everyone a picture of my wiener inside the stocking they’re holding on to. That’ll teach you to trust a twentysomething with limited income and anger management issues. Bro. more ›

Waking up early for Black Friday's "doorbusters" sounds like the anti-fun. So here are some of LAist's Holiday Picks for the philanthropist in you, none of which involve any malls, massive stores or long lines. All of these gifts have a charitable element to them, benefiting mostly local or national organizations so you're really giving two gifts and making lots of people happy. And you feel good. Everybody wins! Onto the gifts that keep on giving... more ›

One of our goals this year is to not be shopping and wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. But that means one has to now start thinking of what to buy and where to shop. So here's one good place to start: the art gallery Ghettogloss has announced the Silver Lake Art Craft & Vintage flea market that begins on November 15 and runs on Saturday and Sundays through December 21. more ›

1. GOOD Magazine: This locally based do-gooding magazine has been impressing many across the country over the past year. In fact, a subscription to this bi-monthly publication is one of our favorite ideas. If GOOD is not your giftee's style, there are about a million other magazines to gift them.
2. Greendimes: Give the gift no more junk mail. Starting at $15, they will stop up to 90% of junk mail and plant 10 trees. Trust us, it works, we've been with Greendimes for over a year now and we only get one piece of junk mail from one company that won't listen and that's it.
3. Organic Delivery: No one will be delivering organic delivery you order to today, tomorrow, but announcing that they will be getting a box full of beautiful organic fruits and veggies delivered within the next few weeks is a nice gift that extends into the New Year. You can order a one-time delivery or buy a weekly delivery for a month. It's up to you! We do this occasionally for ourselves and we highly recommend Organic Express.
4. CFLs: Gift a few or more Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and you'll be thanked for saving them money. We replaced nine bulbs in our household and now save an average of $80 per bill (DWP bills every two months). So in theory, by giving CFLs away, you'll be giving money on a monthly basis -- it's like a long term investment strategy.
5. Online Donations: In their name, make an online donation to a non-profit. Green Living Magazine has some ideas.

I know a lot of people who have the very best intentions of getting their holiday shopping done e-a-r-l-y every year who wind up failing miserably at making good on their noble plans. Some, like an estimated 40% of Americans, in fact, get wise to the internets and do their shopping online--but even that takes some advance planning. Earlier this week, if you'd forgotten to shop, or had that typical "oh, Christmas isn't for days and days! I've got plenty of time!" thought pass through your mind, you could have still gotten it in under the wire on the web. But with shipping times, and the clock ticking, I feel I must make mention of a scary fact: Christmas is in four days! more ›

Admit it. We have all done it one time or another. Re-wrapped something that ran counter to our oh-so-fabulous taste and passed it along to some unsuspecting schmuck &/or loved one. It's not very nice. It reeks of cheapness and laziness. Still, in a recent survey more than half of the Americans polled said they re-gift regularly and unashamedly. Hey, we all got our reasons: couldn't make it to the store in time for the office Kris Kringle; spent our last few bucks on baby's new pair of shoes; already have one; this figurine with the clock in it's belly would look so damned good on my best bud's mantle. more ›

Still haven’t found the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for kinky family member? Not sure what to get for the Samantha Jones of your group? Or just broke, and would sooner choke on a reindeer cookie than knit another scarf? There’s hope yet—and thank the gods of crafting, it doesn’t involve mastering a new sweater pattern. This Friday, Babeland, L.A.’s loveable educational sex toy store, will offer up Craftnight. Hosted by Julianna Parr—or “JP the... more ›

I’ve been an avid fair-attendee and crafter for years and must say it’s my favorite place to get that special unique, handmade something for the people who seem to have just about everything. more ›

A friend is flying in from Australia on Friday. It’s his first trip to Los Angeles, and he comes bearing gifts. Authentic, “only in Australia” kinds of gifts. I’m talking Penfolds red wine. I’m talking an Akubra hat. I’m talking a stuffed koala for my son (in Pietà form no less, cradling another tiny stuffed baby koala that sings Waltzing Matilda. Fuckin’ show off). I thought I’d forgo the “here, have a fridge magnet”... more ›

Men don't have time for scissors and tape and bows or string and all of that hoo-ha. We barely have time to get gifts. If it weren't for well-stocked convenience stores and bootleg dvds littering our favorite street corners, our loved ones would never get a crummy gift. Big surprise, but nowhere we ever go has free gift wrapping like at those perfumey Nordstroms and crud, so once a year we have to dig... more ›

Have a food-fanatic on your shopping list? May we suggest some local sources for fabulous gifts, both big and small. LAist will help you Eat It, Use It, Learn It, and Read It with our food-focused installment of the Holiday Gift Guide. Some of these items will last for just a few precious bites, and some will let your lucky recipient get their own hands dirty. Since the clock is ticking, you'd best high-tail... more ›

It's time. As much as we hated seeing silver stars and winter white wonderland at the Beverly Center as early as October (did they completely gloss over Halloween or did we just miss it when they were promoting it back in, say, July?), we must accept that Holiday shopping is indeed upon us now that it's December. To make it easier on us all, LAist has toiled, worn out our mouse clicking fingers, scoured... more ›